


This Is What Makes Us Girls

by notamundane2004



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-04-16 23:10:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14175390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notamundane2004/pseuds/notamundane2004
Summary: Running from the cops, dripping wet, at 2:00 in the morning wasn’t how she had planned to spend her Saturday off. Jane “El” Hopper is caught at a bad time after protesting at an equal pay for all rally. Her only choice is to run, and she ends up jumping on the bike of the one and only Mike Wheeler.Original idea inspired by the Lana Del Rey song, hence the title.





	1. Take A Chance On Me

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everybody! I’m super excited for this story, and I hope you guys all like it :) This was inspired by the song “This Is What Makes Us Girls” by Lana Del Rey, and I in no way own that or the Stranger Things characters. This is just made up stuff lol. As always, comments, kudos and suggestions are always appreciated! Without further ado, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Running from the cops, dripping wet, at 2:00 in the morning wasn’t how she had planned to spend her Saturday off. Jane “El” Hopper had thought she’d get her day off relaxing, maybe watch a movie, and go to bed by 9:00. Of course, her best friend Max Mayfield had very different plans. El had been sitting at home preparing a Star Wars movie marathon when there was a knock at her door. The brunette got off of her comfy chair and walked to the apartment door. She was wearing only an old t-shirt and yoga pants, her wavy hair in a messy bun. El hoped that it wasn’t anyone important, but the again it was quarter to 10:00, so it was unlikely it was anyone but Max.  
“I’m coming!” El called out, before opening the door. Max rushed inside, her hair frizzy from the humidity. El was surprised by the red-heads sprightly demeanor.  
“Max, what’s up?” She asked, unsure what the matter was. Had Max’s boyfriend Lucas done something, or was Max’s good for nothing step-brother Billy harassed her?  
“El, why aren’t you ready? The protest is in 30 minutes!” The fiery girl screeched.  
“Woah, don’t wake my neighbors. And what protest?” El asked, suddenly confused. Had she somehow forgotten about something important? El couldn’t think of anything at the moment, so what ever Max was talking about couldn’t have been too important. Her friend was always going on a tangent and trying to get El into something. Of course, she always had good intentions, yet she made imprudent decisions most of the time.  
“El Hopper! How could you possibly forget? At the University? For equal pay? God El, this is like the most important night ever!” Max yelled, clearly not listening to El when she’d told her about the volume. The realization dawned on her face, this is what Max had been preparing for for at least a few months. After a sleuth Max had learned that the female Professors made less money than the male Professors, she had been quick to call them out. Lots of other woman and students had come forward and made their cases about the unfair treatment their male counterparts received. The student body had organized a protest at their university, Hawkins University for the Arts and Sciences.  
“Oh, right of course. Um, let me get changed,” El muttered, before quickly grabbing some clothes to wear. She pulled on a black sweater and a pair of jeans, before taking out her messy bun. That would have to do for now, El thought.  
“Let’s go,” Max chided, before grabbing her friend and walking out her apartment door. The second El walked out the palpable heat made her wish she’d worn something less warm. Her hair began to frizz up immediately, and she started to sweat. Normally El wouldn’t have wanted to leave her house, but this was a protest, and it was important to her and Max. El followed her best-friend towards the center of the campus. El was surprised to see so many girls there. The crowd was enormous, and filled with a sea of people, old and young, and many ethnicities. El’s eyes glazed over for a second, so pleased to see people caring about the cause. She was jolted out of her reverie by the red-haired girl grabbing El and pulling her towards the center. She hadn’t had time to make a sign, but there were some really great ones. Max pulled El even more forwards,until they were at the very center of the crowd.  
“Isn’t this great?!” Max screamed over the loud crowd, so that her friend could hear her. El nodded, not really wanting to yell over the crowd. It was pretty late, so she was a little worried about the noise. The last thing they needed was to get in trouble with the university. They already were critiquing the school. El let her mind wonder from them getting in trouble to how amazing it was that they’d all rallied together. This movement would definitely ignite change at the school, and that’s what El wanted. She wasn’t going to wait for some imaginary hero to come and save her, she would go out and conquer all the dragons in her path. El’s moment of power was interrupted abruptly by a few screams. Her head snapped in that direction, and she grabbed Max’s hand. If something were to happen, she didn’t want her friend to get in trouble. 

“Attention! Everyone here needs to leave. We have received multiple noise complaints, and it is after hours that students are allowed to be out here. You have 15 minutes before we get the school involved!” a campus police officer yelled over a megaphone. El felt her heart sink, this was probably the suckiest thing ever. Just when they were starting to make an impact, a small dent on the school, they were shut down. The crowd started to to disembark, and El’s mind races. This couldn’t be over, could it? There fight was hardly done yet. Soon, the crowd had dwindled greatly, and El and Max were two of the maybe twenty or so people who remained.  
“Stop!” El yelled, surprising herself.  
“You can’t shut us down, we’ve barely even done anything yet!” The young woman added. Max gave her a quizzical look before joining in.  
“Ya! Maybe if we were a bunch of guys we wouldn’t have this problem,” the red-head added before crossing her arms. The remaining crowd all moved closer to where the two girls stood and stated their opinions. The police officer didn’t even look bothered, as if he delt with this stuff all the time.  
“Alright, who started this? I swear to God I will arrest all of you if it comes to that!” The man screeched, clearly getting tired of all the bickering. Now this made people leave, as the prospect of getting arrested interested nobody. Except maybe El, because in that moment she did something totally out of character. The brunette walked up to the officer, her face scarlet and flushed, but her eyes determined.  
“Well prove it,” El sneered. The moments that followed were not some of her proudest moments, yet they shaped El greatly. The officer swung around, and gave her the meanest look she’d ever seen.  
“Alright that’s it! I’m taking you all in, starting with you young lady!” He hissed. El’s eyes widened as she realized what was happening. Pivoting on her heel, El rushed over to Max.  
“Run!” They both screamed at what the same time. El grabbed Max as they made their way far from campus. El fiddled with her keys, before throwing them to Max.  
“My place is closer, you go there and I’ll go to Benny’s or something. They didn’t see your face, so you’ll be safe,” El whispered urgently. Max looked at her with confusion.  
“I’m not leaving you,” She replied.  
“Please Max, until this dies down you won’t be safe with me, just go ok?” El pleaded, giving her friend puppy dog eyes. Max sighed, but obliged. She gave a quick hug to El, before she ran towards El’s apartment building. El breathed out a sigh of relief, the less trouble she got Max in the better. 

The Hopper girl quickly checked to make sure there was nobody on the streets as she walked towards the restaurant. El checked her watch, it was 1:45, almost 2:00 AM. El had really lost track of time when she was at the protest, not realizing she’d been there for a few hours before it was shut down. The girl jogged over towards Benny’s, the only restaurant near campus worth going to. El grimaced when it started to rain. This really was a night going poorly for El. She barely even made it to the door when she saw a familier face nearbye, the cop she had just been running from was enjoying a coffee. El didn’t know how he’d managed to get their before El did, but realized he could have driven their when she was just running. El had no backup plan, and she was caught by surprise when her eyes made contact with the officer she’d been running from.  
“Hey! You!” The cop yelled before making his way outside. El froze, then panicked. She wouldn’t be able to get away quick enough, and even if she did he had a car and she didn’t. El’s eyes glanced over the parking lot, as she searched for something, or someone to help her out. The rain was coming down harder now, and as she was dripping wet she couldn’t see that far in front of her. The brunette was lucky enough to spot a bicycle nearbye. She would have borrowed it then brought it back the next day, if not for one obstacle. There was a boy sitting on the bike. Here goes nothing, she thought to herself. With no more time to spare because the officer was hot on her heels, El sped down to where she’d seen the bike.

“Go, go, go!!” El yelled, before swinging her legs into the bike.  
“What?” The boy yelled back at her, before getting on the bike as well.  
“I said we have to go, they’ll be here any second!” She yelled back, nodding in the direction of the cop that was coming their way.  
“Oh shit,” El heard him mutter before they sped away. El finally let herself exhale a sigh of relief. She was safe, for now. Then again, how safe could she be? She had just jumped on a random strangers bike.  
“Why were you even running from an officer?” The mysterious guy asked her. El bit her lip, but decided to tell him the truth.  
“I was at a protest, and things got out of hand. So I ran away,” She finished, not sure of her decision to tell him the truth. He stayed silent for a moment, and El felt her stomach twirl.  
“Oh ok. Hey, it wasn’t the protest at Hawkins University was it? I’ve been hearing about that one for weeks,” He added calmly.  
“It was,” She replied.  
“Oh nice. Are you a student there? I am, but I didn’t go tonight. I have an exam tomorrow morning, or well I guess this morning. Then again, how much studying was I really doing? I had to make a stop at Benny’s for some coffee to stay awake,” He finished, and El wasn’t sure how to respond. How was he being so cool about this? She’d literally jumped on his bike and told him to go without giving him any context.  
“Oh, and I’m Mike by the way,” He added, jolting El from her thoughts.  
“Oh I’m Jane. And I’m a student at Hawkins too, I’m a photography major,” she replied, easing into the conversation. El had given him her real name instead of her childhood nickname. Maybe she’d tell him later, maybe.The rain had stopped, and even though it was dark out she could see better. From the back she took in Mike. He had inky black hair that was curly like her own. His skin was all cream and milk, and he had lots of freckles. She couldn’t see his face that well, but she felt herself trusting him more. El couldn’t quite place it, but there was something familiar about him.  
“I’m majoring in computer science, I know, I’m a nerd,” he laughed, and El found herself laughing too. He had a nice laugh, she thought.  
“You know, I’m surprised you aren’t more concerned about that fact that I just hopped on your bike and told you I was running from the cops,” El quipped, starting to rethink her actions. Mike didn’t say anything for a moment, probably thinking of something appropriate to say.  
“That’s a good point, but let me just say that I’ve taken my chances on complete strangers before,” he joked back at her. El laughed, and let a small smile grace her lips.  
“So, where are we going?” El asked, suddenly realizing they were in the middle of the woods. She wasn’t familiar with the area, as she hardly left the campus grounds that much. El longed for adventure, but her exams made her stay inside to study. After this night was over, she thought maybe she’d get out more. It would help in a situation like this.  
“Oh, well,” Mike started, and she noticed that his neck was turning the faintest bit pink.  
“I guess I’m taking us back to my place. I know that’s probably kind of weird since we just met,” he said with a nervous chuckle.  
“Oh, um right,” El replied echoing that same laughter. She was glad he couldn’t see her face, because she was nervous. El prayed that whoever Mike was, he wasn’t a serial killer or something. Then again, he didn’t give her a serial killer vibe. He seemed, kind, and in this cruel world she was willing to give that a chance. They went the rest of the way in silence, until finally they made their way to a cozy looking house on the outskirts of the woods.  
“I live here with three other guys, they go to Hawkins too. Lucas, Will, and Dustin. They’re pretty nice, I’ll explain what happened if they’re even awake, is that ok Jane?” He asked, and El finally got to see what he looked like. Mike may have been a complete stranger, but that didn’t stop her from thinking he was cute. She noticed he had a few freckles dappled his face, and that his hair was just as curly in the back than in the front. From first glance the only thing that came to mind was, pretty. 

“Jane? You good? If not maybe we can wait out here or something, and then I can help you go home, if you want or maybe not,” Mike rambled, snapping El from her daydream.  
“What? Oh ya, let’s go in sure. Also, call me El. Only my dad calls me Jane,” She finished, breaking out of her trance.  
“Ok, nice to meet you, El,” Mike greeted, a warm smile on his face. El beamed back at him, before following him to the door. He made a gesture for her to be quiet as he opened the door. They crept in, the door creaking ever so slightly. Both Mike and El stood awkwardly, not sure what there next move would be. On the bike in the rain they’d carried on conversation smoothly, but now the realization of how little they knew each other caught up to them.  
“Do you have a phone I can use?” El asked, clearing her throat. Mike pointed to where the phone was attached to the wall, and she mouthed thank you to him. El decided to call Max, as her friend was probably worried about her. The phone picked up on the first ring, confirming El’s suspicions.  
“Hello?” Max asked into the phone, and the brunette exhaled knowing this meant Max was definitely safe.  
“Max? It’s me El,” she replied.  
“Oh my God, are, you safe? El where are you?” Max asked urgently into the phone.  
“Max, I’m fine, don’t worry, ok? I’m at a friends house, I guess you could say. It’s a really long story, which I’ll be explaining to you the second I come home, I promise,” El gushed, hoping it would hold Max over. It didn’t, and the bombard of questions got to her quickly.  
“A friend? El, you don’t really know that many people hon. Who?” Her friend inquired, making El think of a valid way to describe Mike.  
“Well I um. Ok so I just met him like half an hour ago, but he seems pretty nice. I’m at his place, his names Mike,” She explained.  
“El!” Max chided her, “You don’t even know this guy and you’re at his house? That’s literally the worst thing a girl in college can do!” El mulled over this for a moment, before deciding it would be best if she just hung up.  
“Look, I’m coming home soon, ok? I’m gonna go now, by Max. I’m safe I promise,” El added, before shutting the phone down. She turned to see that Mike was staring at her, probably trying to figure out what her deal was. El herself probably would have thought she was crazy at first glance.  
“Do you want Eggos?” Mike asked, taking aback El. He wasn’t kicking her out? Or calling the police on her?  
“Sure, Eggos are my favorite food,” She answered, smiling a little. He smiled back, and El couldn’t help thinking he had a sweet smile.  
“Great, I figured you’re hungry. It’s like 3:00 in the morning after all,” he whispered, El making her way over to his kitchen counter. She pulled out one of the wooden barstools and sat on it, waiting for her waffles to pop. Mike placed two on a plate for her, and two for herself.  
“So El, how are you going to get home? Do you think the cop is still looking for you?” Mike inquired while taking a bite of his waffle. El chewed her Eggo before replying, “Honestly? No. I doubt they really cared that much. But as for how I’m getting home, I guess I’ll walk,” She replied, grimacing at the thought of walking home. It was a far walk, her clothes were still damp, and it was pretty dark out.  
“Walk? I can’t let you do that. Sure, I’ve only known you for a solid 45 minutes but we’re eating Eggos together, we’re basically best friends!” He insisted, and she smirked.  
“Please, I already forced you to take me this far. I can walk,” El stated quietly.  
“No, really. I’m not letting you leave my house. It’s totally fine, I’m going to campus anyways, for that exam, remember? Maybe I can study at the library for a few hours,” he pondered, and El knew she wouldn’t be able to get out of it.  
“Ok fine. But it’s you’re fault if you refer it. I did warn you,” she reminded him, before taking the last bite of her waffle. Mike chuckled before grabbing his bag and coat. 

They walked outside, and the early morning chill hit El like a brick wall. She hadn’t noticed it after running for so long, but now she was. Mike probably noticed her shiver, because he draped his jacket over her shoulders wordlessly. Before El could say anything, he hopped back over on to his bike.  
“You coming?” He asked cheekily, and she smirked. El swung one leg over the bike before gingerly grabbing onto to Mike’s waist. She did only just meet him, El didn’t want him to get the wrong idea.  
“Where do you live?” He asked, before blushing. El snorted, and she thought she was the stalker.  
“Not what I meant, El,” he replied, but she could tell he was laughing too. Too bad they probably wouldn’t meet again, because El was starting to like him more. Honestly, El probably liked him too much considering how long she’d known him.

“Ok so take a right here,” El told Mike, as they were biking near her apartment complex. They’d chatted the whole time, El learning about his family, how he had two sisters he adored, and parents that were getting a divorce soon. She’d told him that sucked, but he said it was probably for the better. El had told him about her dad Jim Hopper, and how much she loved him, and her best friend Max. They’d talked for the whole ride, and before long El felt as if she’d known him her whole life. The girl actually felt a little sad when he dropped her off right in front of the complex.  
“Ok, so this is it,” she said, before getting off the bike.  
“Thanks again, for everything Mike,” El told him genuinely. She really did appreciate all that he had done for her. El doubted most people would take a chance on a stranger like he had.  
“It’s no problem, trust me,” Mike insisted, making El smile towards her feet.  
“Alright, till we meet again,” Mike chirped. El gave him a shy smile, as she waved at him. He waved back before peddling away. It was only after he was gone that she realized she was still wearing his jacket. A second later, the girl felt something inside the jacket. El reached in the pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. On it said “Mike Wheeler, call me!” and then his phone number. The Hopper girl felt herself blushing, wow, he was real slick. El hadn’t even seen him take anything down. El jogged up the steps towards her apartment, and knocked on the door, waiting for Max to open it. As the door opened, she tried to hide her smile and the color on her face.  
“Ok Ellie. You have a lot of explaining to do,” Max told her, before letting her inside. El snickered, she had no idea the story she was in for.


	2. At First Sight, Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically El and Max have a dinner date with Lucas, Mike, Will and Dustin. Let’s just say El and a certain someone have a surprise reunion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y’all I’m sorry I haven’t posted in over a month! I’ve been super busy, but now I’m trying to work on this story, and get it done.

“Max! Where are my earrings?” El called from her bedroom.  
“Which ones?” Max called back to her friend. El turned in the direction where the red-he’d was standing, so that she was able to talk to her better.  
“The ones that you gave me for Christmas, with the little waffles on them,” El replied. It was just like her friend to give her a waffle themed present as that was El’s favorite thing.  
“Right here Ellie,” Max answered, before giving her friend the earrings. The two girls were getting ready for a party with Lucas Sinclair, Max’s boyfriend. El had known him for a while, as he had gone to school with them both. He had met Max through the college, and they’d been dating for a long time. This was the first time however, that they were having a formal dinner party. Max had been planning it for a while, since she was going to finally meet Lucas’s friends, and El as well. The two girls had spent the last few hours getting ready, much to the delight of El. She’d always loved dressing up ever since she was a little girl. Max on the other hand wasn’t as much of a fan as El.  
“Ughh, why does it matter what color I use? They’re literally the same color!” Max whined. El looked at her friend, curious as to what she was talking about. Her friend was holding two tubes of lipstick, that were clearly different shades. Chuckling, she picked the one that would look the best with Max’s hair.  
“Use that one Max,” she joked, before continuing to work on herself. El’s brown hair wasn’t very long, reaching only a little over her shoulders. Still El, was trying to make it look as nice as possible. The curls were hard to tame, but once they got longer they were more of waves. El liked the look, and content she moved on to something else.  
“Ok so is this like really fancy? Or more of casual?” El asked Max. She didn’t want to send these people the wrong impression, as she knew she’d be spending more time with Lucas and his friends if Max kept up the relationship. El honestly loved the couple, even though she didn’t know Lucas that well. It was worth it to see Max grin at a text message, or her flushed face when El mentioned something about her boyfriend. Smiling, she looked at her friend.  
“Ready to leave?” El asked her, before looking at Max’s outfit.  
“Oh Max, you look so beautiful!” She gushed, motioning to her friends blue dress. Max hardly ever wore something other than a sweatshirt and jeans. El took in her friends beauty before grabbing her hand, and opening the door.  
“We don’t want to be late,” Max added, before hurrying alongside her friend.

As they were making the drive, Max driving, El in shotgun, El began to get curious.  
“So tell me, what are these roommates like? Nerdy like Lucas?” El asked with a laugh. Max laughed too before replying to El.  
“Ya, well Lucas is a computer science major as you know. I think all his roommates are too actually. So big nerds. I’ve never met them but I think I can remember their names,” she started, trying to remember what the names had been.  
“Let’s see, their was definitely Dustin, and then a Will. And last was someone with an M, it’s just not ringing any bells now. We’ll learn it later though I guess,” she finished. El nodded her head, before turning on the radio. She remembered then that the mysteriously cute Mike Wheeler was also a computer science major. She hadn’t called him yet, but then again they had only met a few days ago. El recalled telling Max the story. Max had been surprised to hear of what El had been up to, and had a million questions. El had neglected to tell her than Mike was really cute and had given her his number. She’d already faced relentless teasing for eating Eggos with him, she didn’t want to endure anything else. El watched through her window at the scenery. They were in a forested area, similar to Mike’s house, she thought. As they pulled into the driveway, El felt a sense of deja vu. It was almost like she’d been there before, but that was impossible. How could she have been to Lucas’s house before? Max and her got out of the car, before walking to the door. El squeezed her friends hand because she knew that she was nervous. This was a big deal after all. The door opened and Lucas was there.  
“Hey guys, I’m glad you could come!” He greeted them, pecking Max on the cheek and then opening the door for them to come in.  
“So let me introduce everyone. This is Dustin,” Lucas said, gesturing to a curly haired guy with a big smile. El immediately felt his friendliness, and she reached out to shake his hand.  
“Then there’s Will,” Lucas added, gesturing to a young man that was a little shorter than the rest of them. El smiled at him, he was a little more reserved than the others, El noticed.  
“Dustin, where is our third roommate?” Lucas asked, chuckling slightly.  
“Oh him? I don’t know. I think he ran to the store…” Dustin trailed off even though he didn’t seem to sure.  
“Sorry about Mike, he’s always late,” Will mentioned, which made the wheels in El’s head spin. Mike, computer science, and three roommates with names that she’d definitely heard before. Looking around, she saw that the phone she used was in the same place, and that the house was eerily the same even in the evening. As El was connecting the pieces, she heard a loud crash from the front door. Everyone turned to see a soaking wet amass of curly hair and long limbs trying to get through the door.  
“Jesus, I hate these doors,” The man said, and El immediately recognized him as Mike. She but back a laugh at his entrance, this was one way to get the attention of everyone.  
“Max, El meet Mike,” Lucas said clearing his throat. When Mike heard the name El something in his face changed, he looked up and their eyes met, recognizing each other. He didn’t say anything for a second, probably still surprised.  
“Mike? Earth to Mike? Are you going to explain what happened to you?” Dustin called out, breaking the silence. Mike looked up, breaking away from El’s face. She noticed that he blushed the same way he had when they met, and she smiled at that.  
“Oh um right. So I was on my way here, when my bike just breaks down. I think I rode over a nail or something, but anyways I’m trying to get here in time, and so I start running. But keep in mind I have my bike too, so as I’m running to get here it starts raining, and I can’t abandon my bike so I’m walking fast. The rain is coming down badly now, and so I’m freaking out because I know that we’ve been planning this dinner for weeks. Anyways I’m here now, but still, long story short I need a car,” Mike finished, taking a deep breath. El broke the silence with a giggle that she tried to cover up. The other members soon started to chuckle as well, because who would get themselves into a mess like this but Mike? Clearing his throat once more, Lucas started to speak again.  
“Well, thank you Mike for that entertaining story. Let’s have dinner now, since I’m sure you’re hungry after that, well, workout,” Lucas finished, trying not to burst out into laughter at his friend.  
“Ok, I’ll be right back. I should probably change,” Mike said, before going up the stairs. As soon as he was out of sight, El grabbed Max’s hand.  
“Max, that was him! The same Mike!” El squealed with excitement.  
“Legit? That’s crazy! What a small world,” she whispered back to her friend.  
“I was wondering why you were making goo-goo eyes at each other. This explains everything,” Max added smugly. El blushed but she didn’t reply. They had been starting at each other, but it was only because they were so shocked at meeting each other again. They were most certainly not making goo-goo eyes at each other.  
El pulled out a chair and sat in between Max and Will. She smiled at Will, he seemed chill and reserved, similar to herself.  
“So, how did you guys all become roommates?” Max asked the group. Everyone started talking, telling Max how they’d all been childhood friends that lived in Hawkins and all had gotten scholarships to the University, so they just decided they might as well become roommates. El and Max had a similar story, when El was adopted by her father Chief Jim Hopper, her first friend had been Max. They too were from Hawkins, but they didn’t know the boys. El had been homeschooled till high school, where she then met Max. They were best friends, even though they were polar opposites. Nobody else really talked to them, probably because they were considered outsiders.  
“Wait, if you’re from Hawkins why didn’t we all go to the same school?” Dustin asked.  
“Well, we both live kind of on the outskirts of Hawkins, so we went to a different, smaller, high school,” El replied. Mike walked down the steps just then, wearing a striped sweater and black pants. His hair was still a little wet, but overall he didn’t look like he had been running around in a hurricane. Mike sat directly across from El, and she found herself staring at him. She blushed when she realized he was looking at her too. The Party continued talking, sharing childhood stories, and talking about the future. Max and El fit right in, and soon it felt like they’d all known each other for years. Finally, Will asked Max how she’d met Lucas. Max chuckled, but started the story.  
“Well let’s see, Lucas was stalking me,” she started, but Lucas cut her off.  
“I was not!” He demanded with a laugh.  
“Ok Stalker, if that’s what you tell yourself. Anyways so he was stalking me after classes, and finally when he got the nerve to talk to me I decided to give him a chance. And we’ve been dating ever since,” Max finished, giving Lucas a small smile. The group “awed” collectively, because it was a pretty cute story. El nudged Max slightly under the table, and gave her a knowing look. Even though Max acted really tough, deep down the red-head was a fierce lover, and cared about her friends and boyfriend so much. The group continued sharing stories as they ate their dinner, until finally it was getting late. Dustin and Will said good night to everybody before heading to bed. Will was not a night owl, and Dustin had an early morning interview for a job he was interested in. So it was just Max, Lucas, Mike and El. The four of them sat on the couches in the cozy living room.  
“So, how’d the protest go?” Lucas asked, as he knew Max had been really excited about it. Max and El shared a glance, before Max started talking.  
“Well, it started off great. Tons of people were their, it was going pretty well. Then we got shut down and you-know-who happened to get herself in trouble with the police,” Max finished, nodding at El. El blushed, not wanting Lucas and Mike to only think of her as the crazy girl who was running from the cops.  
“That explains so much!” Mike piped up, looking at El.  
“Wait,” Lucas started, “You two know each other?”  
“It’s complicated,” Mike and El said at the same time. They both laughed and then earned some confused glances from Lucas.  
“Care to elaborate?” He asked, looking at Max said she had any answers.  
“Trust me, you’ll be glad your sitting,” Max said to him.  
“Ok so it all started as I was running from the police officer,” El started. She filled him in on her jumping on Mike’s bike, and then coming to the house. Lucas was confused as to why Mike had kept it a secret, since he had let a stranger into their house, but Mike claimed he had forgotten he didn’t know El. After all, the two had felt as if they’d been friends for a long time.  
“Well then, that was an interesting tale, to say the least,” Lucas said, a baffled expression on his face. Max laughed before pecking him on the cheek and holding his hand. El resisted the urge to coo, God they were so perfect for each other! The group fell into a comfortable silence, and El closed her eyes. She could probably fall asleep, except for the fact this wasn’t her house. Regardless, it didn’t stop El from drifting off. 

El woke up too the gentlest shaking of Mike.  
“El, you good?” He asked her, his voice barely a whisper. She nodded, and opened her eyes. Max and Lucas were gone, but how would she get home? Had they left without her? Mike noticed her confusion, “They went up stairs a while ago. When you were sleeping. I don’t want to think about what they’re doing…” Mike finished. El smiled at him, and he smiled back. Pretty, she thought. Mike blushed and El realized that she’d mumbled it out loud.  
“So, do you want me to take you home?” He asked her.  
“Sure,” El whispered, before yawning. It really was getting late. She glanced at the clock on the wall and realized it was around 12:30. Mike grabbed El’s hand since she was a little groggy, and helped her up. The contact was enough to make her alert. El followed Mike outside and let the night air nip at her skin. Mike’s bike was no longer damp from earlier, but he still hadn’t fixed the tire.  
“Oh shit,” Mike muttered. El didn’t know what to say, since it was too late to walk, and she had no car since Max’s keys were with her.  
“I mean, you could sleep here. If you want,” he said shyly. She laughed nervously, but couldn’t think of a better option. Sure, she trusted him, but they had only just met.  
“I mean I’ll sleep on the couch of course, and you can take my bed,” Mike said. El nodded, knowning that if she spoke she’d be giggling too much. Late night El meant hysterical El, and she didn’t want to seem crazy. Of course, if Mike didn’t think she was crazy by now then he never would.  
“Ok,” El muttered. They walked in, still holding hands. She let go as she walked to the stairs.  
“I share a room with Will, just go in and take the bed. We’ll explain in the morning,” he told her, waving her off. Before she left, she ran down the stairs until she was face to face with Mike.  
“Hey, um thanks. For everything,” she said with a smile. He appeared flustered as well, but smiled. She walked up, and crept into his room. Boy, they’d have a lot of explaining to do in the morning. Then again, it wasn’t her fault any of this had happened. Max would surely understand, as well as Will when he woke up to El in his roomates bed. As the brunette drifted to sleep, she noticed the blankets smelled like Mike. A peaceful smile on her face, El closed her eyes and went to bed.


	3. Explain Yourself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El wakes up to a very confused Will, and then a very confused Mike. After breakfast they are met with a very confused Max and Lucas. Dustin’s the only one safe from the hysteria.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I’m trying to update more often, but it takes me a few days to write each chapter. Anyways, I hope you all like this chapter! I had a ton of fun writing it :)

El woke to the gentle tapping of a very confused Will. She opened her eyes groggily, looking at her surroundings.  
“El? Hey sorry to wake you. I just didn’t think you would be sleeping over,” He whispered, and El looked up at him, trying to remember why she was there. The previous nights events flooded her brain, and she reminded herself that she was sleeping in Mike’s bed. Looking back at Will, she stifled a yawn.  
“Let me explain,” she started, before launching into the story of why she was there. Will laughed at the part where she said Mike’s bike was broken. El grinned, recalling his explanation as to why he was late the night before.  
“Well, you’ll always be welcome here El. Let’s go have breakfast,” he said, before walking out of the room. Before she went to follow him, El realized she was still wearing her dress from the night before.  
“Hey Will, this may seem weird but do you have any clothes I can borrow?” She asked shyly. He smiled, before pointing to a drawer next to her.  
“That’s Mike’s stuff. His stuff will probably be more comfortable,” he replied, and she smiled in thanks. Will closed the door so she’d have privacy to change. El opened the drawer and pulled out a pair of gray sweatpants, and a navy blue sweater. She tugged off her dress and put on the comfortable clothing. She looked at herself in the mirror, chuckling at herself in oversized apparel. El walked out of the bedroom, and made her way downstairs. Dustin had already left, so it was only El and Will, as well as sleeping Mike.  
“Waffles?” Will asked politely. El nodded, and smiled. She looked around the house, and recalled the fateful night she’d first been there. El wondered if she should tell Will the story, but decided against it since that could lead to some awkward questions. After all, Lucas already knew. And so did Max. The rest of the Party was bound to find out soon enough. El had had enough shenanigans for one night. As her waffle popped, Will handed it to her on a plate and she thanked him. He sat across from her, eating a waffle and taking in the scene. El looked over at Mike, still asleep on the couch. His hair was heavily disheveled, messy curls splattered on a couch cushion. El had to resist the urge to run her fingers through them, because that would be insanely creepy. However, El couldn’t help the fact that she thought he was insanely cute. As well as him being very sweet. El tore her eyes away from Mike, because at that point her staring would give her away. Will had a little smirk on his face, and El blushed.  
“What?” She asked him, trying not to smile.  
“Oh nothing,” he replied, with a sly shrug. She shook her head at him, before turning to her waffles. El had just shoved one in her mouth when a crash behind her startled both Will and El. They both turned to see Mike on the ground. The coffee table was on its side, with Mike underneath it. Will ran over to him and lifted up the table, with El following.  
“Jesus Mike, what happened?!” Will asked loudly.  
Mike yawned, then looked at their worried faces. He seemed to be recalling the previous nights events, and was remembering why he was sleeping on the couch. The boy sniffled before looking up at them groggily.  
“Well, I forgot I was sleeping on the couch. And then I tried to roll over and I fell onto the coffee table,” Mike answered. El stifled a laugh, but she couldn’t help herself. The giggles just came out, and seconds later Will and Mike joined her. The three of them were practically rolling on the floor laughing, well Mike literally, and they were causing quite a ruckus. Soon Lucas came down the stairs, followed by Max.  
“What the hell?” Max muttered, with a confused Lucas giving them a quizzical stare.  
“El, why are you still here? And Mike why are you on the floor?” Lucas asked.  
El gasped, trying not to snort in his face.  
“Well Max had the keys, and I forgot to ask for them, and then I fell asleep. So I slept in Mike’s bed and he slept here, and then he fell off the couch and we started laughing at him,” El rambled. Will looked like he was going to keep laughing, but had managed to stop. Mike was still on the floor, his mop of curls spread out on the hardwood floors.  
“Gee El, you could have come upstairs and gotten them,” Max replied.  
El faked a grimace, “Ew! No way would I want to accidentally walk in on you two!” Max gave her an exasperated glance and Lucas just chuckled.  
“Wait El, are you wearing my sweater?” Mike asked after a moment of silence. It was El’s turn to blush, but thankfully Will saved her.  
“Ya, I gave it to her though. I didn’t think you’d mind,” Will added. Mike nodded before getting up off the floor. Max met El’s eyes across the room and she smirked. El looked away, trying not to seem like she was embarrassed.  
“Ok, so I think El and I have had enough for one night. Well and morning. I’m gonna take us home,” Max said.  
“Alright. You sure? You want breakfast or something MadMax?” Lucas asked. El giggled at him, damn he was really in love with Max. Just wouldn’t let her go.  
“Haha, it’s ok Lucas. El should go home though,” Max said, gesturing to El who was yawning. El walked to the front door and grabbed her coat, as well as her shoes. She put both on as Max did the same.  
“Bye guys! Thanks for everything!” El said, before walking out the door. Max waved at the boys, before following El. The red head pulled out her car keys and unlocked the door, so she and El climbed in. They started the drive back quietly, both of them still tired from their impromptu sleepover.  
“So, El. I want all the details of what happened last night, ok?” Max told her friend.  
“What do you mean? I told you everything,” El replied, confused.  
“You know what I mean. You, alone with Mike? Especially after your history and obvious chemistry?” Max added. El scoffed, she’d known Mike for maybe a week. They’d only spoken a couple times, and while they did meet under unlikely circumstances, it wasn’t love at first sight. Sure, she couldn’t deny the fact that she thought he was very cute, and polite. But that wasn’t the basis of a relationship.  
“Well let’s see. I fell asleep and when I woke up you were gone. Mike offered to take me home, but then we realized his bike was broken still. So I went to sleep, in his bed. And he slept on the couch. That’s all,” El finished. Max made a clicking noise with her tongue and then snickered.  
“I’m sure. So you 100% aren’t freaking out that you met your knight in shining armor?” Max asked.  
El replied with a scoff, “No! Come on we literally just met,” El replied. “Besides enough about me. Tell me about your little sleepover with Lucas,” El giggled, drawing out the beginning of his name. It was Max’s turn to scoff.  
“Ellie! Thanks for the personal question,” She joked. El nudged her, eager for the details.  
“Ok well, what happened was we noticed you fell asleep, and it wasn’t like Mike needed entertainment. So we went upstairs and then made out for a while. Then we did it. That’s all,” Max said calmly.  
“Max! That’s like pretty big you know. Wait, you seem oddly calm. Is this a usual thing?” El asked. Now that she was thinking about it, Max did disappear from the apartment from time to time. But the again, this was Max’s first time meeting Lucas’s roommates too. So maybe this was an early development.  
“Well, it wasn’t the first time, but it’s not very often. Sometimes I sneak over when none of them are home but Lucas. Because let’s face it, with four boys one of them is bound to come in at the wrong time. It’s just better this way,” Max stated. El was satisfied with that answer, because even though she liked details she didn’t like that many. El couldn’t help but yawn once again. She wanted to crawl back into bed, whether it was Mike’s or hers. Will really was one heck of an early riser. At that point it was 9:00 AM on a Saturday. They pulled into the apartment driveway, and El and Max got out.  
“I’m still tired,” El said with a laugh. Max just chuckled and grabbed her hand.  
“At least you don’t have to change. You’re still wearing Mike’s clothes,” Max said with a smirk, before going to her room. El didn’t have time to come up with a witty response, and she simply gawked at herself.  
“Effing Max,” she murmured, before crawling into her bed sheets for a small nap.


End file.
